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Collections
Collage of five diverse artworks from the Hammer Museum Collections side by side. From left to right: 1) Contemporary painting of two embracing figures with surreal elements. 2) Post-impressionist style painting of trees with vibrant blues and greens. 3) Black and white illustration of a face with intricate patterns. 4) Japanese woodblock print style image of a figure in a checkered robe. 5) Photograph of a couple dancing, the woman in a black dress and the man in white

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Film still of a brass airplane that's "crashed" into a piece of wood
Screenings

Westermann: Memorial to the Idea of Man If He Was an Idea

  • This is a past program
Followed by a Q&A with Frank Gehry, Ed Ruscha, and director Leslie Buchbinder

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This extraordinary 3D documentary tells the story of artist, combat veteran, and acrobat H. C. (Cliff) Westermann, whose dramatic history can be traced through surreal artworks he made to process the horrors he witnessed on the front lines of the Korean War. Directed by Leslie Buchbinder and featuring narration by Ed Harris, the documentary also features interviews with artists Ed Ruscha, Billy Al Bengston, Frank Gehry, and more. The film is followed by a Q&A with Frank Gehry, Ed Ruscha, and Leslie Buchbinder, moderated by Rani Singh.

2023, dir: Leslie Buchbinder, DCP, color, 86 min.

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All public programs are free and made possible by a major gift from an anonymous donor.
 
Generous support is also provided by Susan Bay Nimoy and Leonard Nimoy, the Elizabeth Bixby Janeway Foundation, Good Works Foundation and Laura Donnelley, the City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs, an anonymous donor, and all Hammer members.
 
Digital presentation of Hammer public programs is made possible by The Billy and Audrey L. Wilder Foundation.
 
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